Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

Air Austral signs an agreement with unions, validating a three-year savings plan. The carrier plans to freeze wages, in exchange for a guarantee of job retention.

Avianca former chairman, German Efromovich, acknowledged that he maintains his interest in the airline and said he is willing to invest to avoid an eventual disappearance due to the impact of the pandemic.

Helvetic Airways to resume its flight operations from Bern to Palma de Mallorca on 05 July 2020. The airline will also be serving Pristina and Ohrid from its Zurich base. Aircraft will also be departing from Bern and Sion for Palma de Mallorca from 18 July onwards under the airline’s new flyBAIR collaboration.

IAG settled a dispute with the UK over a policy to force visitors to self-isolate for 14 days, agreeing to withdraw the London litigation when the government updated its plan.

Kuwait Airways will restart commercial flights to its destinations on 01 August 2020.

Royal Air Maroc
plans to launch a new strategy to survive the economic repercussions of the crisis, a strategy that may include mass layoffs.

Singapore Airlines says it has cancelled passenger flights from Singapore to Melbourne until 14 July 2020, due to restrictions imposed by the Australian government.

India has decided to suspend all the international flight operations in the country till 31 July 2020. Some selected routes can begin after 15 July.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

Post by rwandan-flyer »

Good news for Brussels Airlines, Rwanda willl reopen, its airports for scheduled commercial flight , so i gues that SN will able to serve Kigali, from August.

KLM plans also to resume its service to Kigali, using the B777-200ER, (iso the A330-200 / 300 daily service before covid crisis) at least for August 2020. Flights will be Amsetrdam-Kigali-Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)- Amsterdam, operated once a week

1st time that KLM serve Rwanda, with the B777, but the second time that their Kigali service is tagged with Tanzania. In summer 2015, KGL was tagged via Kilimandjaro

Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways seems also plan to resume their flights:
TK: 6 flights a week using a B737-900 (iso daily service before covid19 crisis)
QR: 3 flights a week, using a B787 (iso daily service before covid19 crisis)
ET: 5 flights a week, using a B737-800 (iso 2 flights a day before covid19 crisis)

No news from Kenya Airways Group (JamboJet and Kenya Airways) and from Egyptair

For RwandAir: https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... gust-2020/

https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/07/04/rwan ... -ministry/
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Kenya Airways to lay off staff, reduce network and assets ~ CEO

Kenya Airways will lay off an unspecified number of workers, reduce its network and also get rid of some assets due to the coronavirus crisis, its chief executive said in an internal memo seen by Reuters.

https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/07/06/keny ... ets-ceo-2/

National carrier–Kenya Airways is sending home 182 pilots with more than 400 cabin crew facing job losses, the star has established, raising questions over the future of the carrier.

https://www.the-star.co.ke/business/ken ... abin-crew/
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

Post by Poiu »

rwandan-flyer wrote: 06 Jul 2020, 17:32

National carrier–Kenya Airways is sending home 182 pilots with more than 400 cabin crew
Not sure if the pilot’s partners will be happy with all these cabin crew in their homes!

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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

Air France and French Bee in July 2020 are resuming service to French Polynesia, with service between Paris and Papeete from July 2020 with B777-200ER and A350-900, respectively. Flights will initially be through Vancouver.

Atlantic Airways plans to resume flights from the Faroe Islands to Edinburgh and Gran Canaria/Las Palmas in October 2020 with Airbus aircraft.

Azul expects to operate 303 peak daily departures by the end of August 2020, representing approximately 35% of pre-crisis total capacity. In addition, the Company will be adding eight domestic destinations to its route network, totalling 80 cities.

Cathay Pacific mulls sending 50 of its aircraft to less humid locations for storage as it reviews plans on the future of fleet by 4Q 2020.

Emirates SkyCargo will be operating scheduled cargo flights to 100 destinations across six continents during the month of July 2020.

HK Express has revised the flight operations resumption date to 02 August 2020, in response to the travel restrictions imposed by governments around the Asia Pacific.

Iberia expects to receive state aid from the Spanish government, which aims to allocate €10 billion to Spanish companies. The funds may end up saving Iberia’s merger with Air Europa. Iberia has extended the ERTE to the majority of the workforce to which it was applied in March 2020, after the closure of borders. The affected employees are around 70% of those under the agreement, around 12,000.

Kenya Airways will lay off an unspecified number of workers, reduce its network and also get rid of some assets due to the coronavirus crisis.
Kenya Aviation Corporation will be established by the government to take over operations of Kenya Airways upon it being nationalised and delisted. KAC will act as a holding company for the airline and Kenya Airports Authority. (see above)

Lufthansa expects to repay government loan debts sometime around 2023 and beyond. The carrier does not want to take out loans in the market to repay taxpayers’ money in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Lufthansa received the first tranche of state aid loans, in the amount of €1 billion. The time to call the additional €2 billion from the KfW loan has not yet been determined.

MTU Aero Engines plans to adjust its personnel capacities. By the end of 2021, the company aims to reduce capacity at its German and international locations by a total of around 10-15%.

Royal Air Maroc to sell of 20 aircraft, including four E190s, four B787-8s, and 12 B737 NGs, as 30% of the workforce to be cut.

Ryanair plans to challenge the Portuguese government’s investment in ailing flag carrier TAP Air Portugal in the European courts, arguing that it is “illegal state aid”.

Ural Airlines has resumed operations of its entire fleet of 48 passenger planes, and some of them had to be re-converted back to passenger configurations.

Maldives is preparing to welcome international airlines from 15 July 2020.

Rwanda announces the resumption of commercial flights to/from the country, effective 01 August 2020.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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WHO urges safety as African airlines begin operation

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for caution as African airlines begin operations in various countries.

http://www.businessghana.com/site/news/ ... -operation

Coronavirus impact on Middle East, Africa airlines 'getting worse'

The financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic on the air transport industry in the Middle East and Africa region is “getting worse,” a top official of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned on Thursday.

https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/business/ ... 702101700/

African Nations Face Difficult Choices as Airports Reopen: Risk Coronavirus Rise or Further Economic Decline

As COVID-19 cases surged in many parts of the world, the island nation of the Seychelles was looking good: 70-plus straight days without a single infection. Then the planes arrived.

Two chartered Air Seychelles flights carrying more than 200 passengers also brought the coronavirus. A few tested positive. Then, between June 24 and 30, the country’s confirmed cases shot from 11 to 81.

https://time.com/5863204/africa-restarting-flights/
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Belgium keeps its borders closed to travelers from countries outside the EU


Belgium has decided not to reopen its borders to travelers from 15 third countries recommended by the EU, citing health and reciprocity reasons, we learned on Monday from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/la-be ... BonxGwgKDE (FR)

Coronavirus: Greece closes borders with Serbian nationals

Greece announced on Sunday July 5 that it will close its borders to all Serbian nationals until July 15 because of an outbreak of Covid-19 contamination in that country. Serbia declared a state of emergency in its capital Belgrade on Friday after the largest increase in new cases of coronavirus since April.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/coron ... s-20200705 (FR)
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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This morning, the Commission Mobility from the Belgian Parliament had a hearing “the future of Brussels Airport after Covid-19”. Guests: Arnaud Feist (Brussels Airport), Dieter Vranckx (Brussels Airlines) and Freek De Witte (DHL).

There will be no written report from the meeting, but the recording (with simultanous translation FR/NL) can be found here:
http://www.dekamer.be/media/index.html? ... ffset=6989
the total recording time is 4 hours and 45 minutes, and the meeting starts at 2 hours 48 minutes 30 seconds.

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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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rwandan-flyer wrote: 07 Jul 2020, 11:21
Belgium keeps its borders closed to travelers from countries outside the EU


Belgium has decided not to reopen its borders to travellers from 15 third countries recommended by the EU, citing health and reciprocity reasons, we learned on Monday from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/la-be ... BonxGwgKDE (FR)
EN: https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/belg ... s-as-safe/
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

Etihad plans to fly to 58 destinations worldwide from its Abu Dhabi hub throughout July and August 2020. These will include major gateways in the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Overland Airways to resume domestic flights in Nigeria from 15 July 2020 on routes to Abuja, Lagos, Akure, Ibadan, Ilorin, and Jalingo.

United Airlines was further expanding its international schedule in September 2020 by bringing back service between Chicago and Hong Kong and Los Angeles and Sydney, and adding new nonstop flights between Chicago and Tel Aviv.

Angola to reopen its air borders under special conditions. Flights to and from the country will only be 75% filled, and companies present in Angola will reduce their usual frequencies by a third.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

Aerolineas Argentinas is mulling moving most of the operations to Cordoba, as one of the alternatives to resuming flights.

AirAsia Group shares were halted after its auditor Ernst & Young said there were material uncertainties that cast doubt on the budget carrier’s ability to continue as a going concern, which is dependent upon recovery from the pandemic and the success of fundraising efforts.

Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Sebuahutra says many of the country’s airlines on the verge of bankruptcy due to the pandemic, but he withheld any names.

Iberia expected to obtain an emergency loan from the government, without the need to hold shares in the airline due to the shareholding structure.

SATA requests state aid of €165 million to provide liquidity needs until the end of 2020, because measures to overcome the impacts of the pandemic are insufficient.

United Airlines expects capacity to be down 75% in July and 65% in August 2020. The carrier also doesn’t expect a linear path to a recovery in travel demand.

Australia could place a limit on the number of overseas flights arriving into the country, says the PM.

US air carriers have all signed LOIs on federal loans to help them weather the novel coronavirus, with United Airlines warning employees that a surge in outbreaks was hitting bookings, threatening a travel rebound and jobs.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Madagascar and the Gambia: closed for foreign entries.

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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review (as usual, without items presented on the homepage or discussed above):

Air Century of the Dominican Republic to restart its regular operations gradually during July 2020.

AirBaltic has announced the new network of summer 2021 with the first 15 seasonal destinations from Riga that in 2020 were postponed due to outbreak. In total airBaltic will offer 82 routes for next summer season, which is +21% more yoy.

Alitalia resumed international flights from Milan to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and London, as Italy gradually reopens its airports and scraps restrictions.

Azul has already laid off 1,000 employees, according to unions, who are in talks with the management.

Cebu Pacific is reducing its workforce by 25% as it navigates a business environment dramatically reshaped by the crisis. Over 800 employees across the group will be laid off by August 2020 on top of some 200 tenured workers who had agreed to retire.

GOL maintains its liquidity position at over 12 months of cash reserves, as a minimum. The Company increased its capacity to 120 flights a day in June 2020 to service a gradual recovery in demand for air travel. In the quarter, GOL’s consolidated gross sales were US$122.6 million and average load factor was 77%.

Neos to gradually restart its operations starting 01 August 2020 from Milan to La Romana, Havana, and Cancun.

Thai Airways International has extended scheduled service suspension by another four weeks, now scheduled to resume on 01 September 2020.

United Airlines and American Airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong over new mandatory-testing rules for aircrew.

United Airlines was preparing to send notices of potential furloughs to 36,000 US-based frontline employees, or about 45% of staff, as travel demand hit by the pandemic struggles to recover. The carrier expects to record US$300 million in employee separation charges in 2Q related to the voluntary terminations.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

KLM unions made a formal complaint to the European Commission over the conditions imposed by the Dutch government on the state aid to the carrier.

Overland Airways
of Nigeria has announced the resumption of its flight services with effect from 15 July 2020, following the lifting of the federal government’s suspension of flight operations in the country.

China’s aviation industry sank further into the red, losing US$4.89 billion in 2Q 2020, only slightly narrower than in the first quarter, underlining the colossal financial impact from the pandemic.

Mexico’s government ruled out a financial rescue of the country’s airlines, which have been hammered by a sharp drop in global demand for travel and restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. The state is exploring options to help them but said there would be no offers of a financial rescue.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

Air Botswana announced the resumption of its domestic operations on 17 July 2020, flying from Gabarone to Francistown, Maun and Kasane.

Air Sinai to resume its sole Cairo – Tel Aviv route as early as 02 August 2020, with A220-300.

British Airways faces fresh calls from the government to strip the carrier of London Heathrow slots over the airline’s response to the pandemic.

CityJet is formally making more than 250 staff redundant, including 46 pilots and 62 cabin crew.

Emirates is set to cut as many as 9,000 jobs because of the pandemic. The carrier has already let go of 6,000 jobs.

Norwegian Air International is being sued in Ireland by its inflight caterer over the alleged non-payment of debt.

Norwegian plans Paris CDG services to Los Angeles and New York JFK on 28 March 2021.

Sri Lanka will delay the reopening of airports that have remained shut since March 18, amidst a surge in coronavirus cases.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

American Airlines is planning to warn employees about potential furloughs, the latest carrier to prepare staff for job cuts as the pandemic roils the airline business.

El Al Israel Airlines faces a class action lawsuit of US$400 million before the Lod Central District Court, due to the non-reimbursement of tickets for flights cancelled during the pandemic.

Fiji Airways has extended international flight cancellations through to the end of August 2020 due to prolonged border closures and travel restrictions.

Garuda Indonesia is in talks with Airbus to delay deliveries of four aircraft in 2020. Garuda has nine A330neos on order and Citilink has 25 A320neos on order. Garuda is also restructuring its aircraft leases and seeks to terminate “unsuitable” contracts.

IATA predicts airlines in the Asia-Pacific region will be the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, with losses expected to be US$29 billion for 2020.

London Heathrow Airport current closure of Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 could extend through to 2021, with several oneworld member airlines now considering a move to the Terminal 5 hub of British Airways.

Royal Air Maroc delays the resumption of planned International operation until 11 August 2020.

Ryanair to cut its Ireland-UK schedules for the months of August and September 2020 by up to 1,000 flights, with the loss of over 200,000 passengers, as Ireland maintains a defective quarantine restriction on EU visitors.

Southwest Airlines chief executive Gary Kelly told employees that passenger numbers would need to triple by the end of 2020 to prevent job cuts.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

China Airlines to resume flights to New York JFK on 26 July 2020. Taipei to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver, as well as destinations in Asia, including China, Europe, Australia, and Palau to follow.

Republic Airways plans to notify 40% of their workforce that they may be furloughed 01 October 2020.

RwandAir will resume flights on 01 August 2020, after almost five months since the airline suspended operations due to the pandemic.

TUI Airways managing director Dawn Wilson hopes the UK furlough scheme will be extended beyond its current end date of 31 October 2020, while calling for a holiday on the APD tax.

Turkish Airlines plans to resume flights to six cities in Russia starting on 01 August 2020.

Volaris is getting ready to start operations in Central America, once the regional authorities endorse the restart of flights, paused by the pandemic.

France started restricting Chinese airlines to one passenger flight per week, saying it was acting in response to curbs imposed by Beijing on French carriers.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Air France expands its in-flight catering offer.
In an effort to improve its customers’ travel experience, Air France is gradually reintroducing some of the services that it had been forced to reduce at the height of the Covid-19 crisis... In Business class, in addition to its catering offer, Air France has resumed its wine and Champagne service... On long-haul routes, since 10 July, Air France has been offering its customers a fuller meal service with more choice...
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air- ... ing-offer/
This contradicts with the EASA Guidelines that catering must be reduced to a minimum, to allow passengers to wear face masks: “… The wearing of medical face masks should be recommended for all passengers and persons within the airport and aircraft, from the moment they enter the terminal building at the departure airport until they exit the terminal building at the destination airport. Exemption to the obligation to wear face masks can be made for instances where otherwise specified, such as during security checks or border control…”

As a consequence, the basic EASA rule is that drinks and/or meals are forbitten onboard. But EASA makes an exemption:
“Aeroplane operators should reduce on-board service to the minimum necessary to ensure comfort and wellbeing standards for passengers and limit the contact between crew members and passengers, giving proper consideration to the duration of the flight. Among these measures the following should be considered:
• No duty free or other non-essential product sales on board.
• Reduced food and drink service.
• Preference for pre-packaged and sealed food and drink products, such as canned drinks.
• Wherever possible, payment procedures involving touch or contact, such as cash payments, should be avoided to mitigate transmission between crew members and passengers."

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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Daily review:

Air Europa has restarted its European routes, with flights to 15 destinations, as well as part of its peninsular routes, operating in more than 20 Spanish cities.

Alitalia is converting a passenger plane — a B777-200 — into full cargo for the first time, adding up to 14 tons of cargo capacity.

American Airlines
will issue notices to 25,000 employees that they face potential furloughs on 01 October 2020.

EasyJet has confirmed it will be flying to 100 more destinations from the UK throughout August 2020, including routes to Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, the Balearics, and the Canary Islands.

El Al Israel Airlines extended its suspension of flights to the end of August 2020 and said it reached cost-cutting agreements with the country’s main labour union that will facilitate a government bailout.

Jet2 has suspended all flights to Spain from Scotland as a result of the 14-day quarantine rule.

Qatar Airways has confidence that its partner Cathay Pacific will overcome the crisis wrought by the pandemic, after shareholders of the Hong Kong-based carrier approved a plan to avoid collapse.

South African Airways to store two A359-900s at Teruel airport in Spain, having grounded the aircraft due to financial and pandemic related problems.

Transportes Interilhas de Cabo Verde resumed domestic flights within the island chain. International flights are still halted.

Guinea to reopen its airspace on 17 July 2020, as long as an application of the principle of reciprocity is filed.
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Re: Impact of the coronavirus crisis on aviation

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Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

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